Construction element with helically wound anchor lattice

ABSTRACT

A construction element configuration for use in making construction elements for roads or panels for structures and the like and a new joint or anchor therefor. The element comprises a slab or sheet of material, which generally is resilient, having a helical wound lattice partially embedded therein for anchoring the slab or sheet to another material. The anchor means comprises a plurality of metallic wire or rod elements each having a springlike configuration consisting of helically wound turns or coils. The helical convolutions of each element are coaxial about a respective longitudinal axis and the axes of the elements are generally parallel and corresponding coils of next adjacent anchor elements are interlaced so that the elements jointly define a lattice arrangement that can be embedded in another material to anchor the slab or element thereto. The anchoring lattice strengthens the slab and provides excellent distribution of stresses to which the arrangement may be subjected when anchored.

United States Patent [72] Inventor David Avital 39 Rue Patou, 59 Lille, France [211 App]. No. 707,869 [22] Filed Feb. 23, 1968 [45] Patented Jan.5, 1971 [32] Priority Oct. 24, 1964, 992,623; Jan. 20, 1965,

2,844; Feb. 24, 1965, 6,920; Apr. 1, 1965, 11,654; [33] France [31 1 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.

497,933, Oct. 19, 1965, now abandoned.

[54) CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT WITH HELICALLY WOUND ANCHOR LATTICE 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 94/15, 52/378, 52/659, 94/1.5, 94/4 [51] lnt.Cl E0lc 5/00 [50] FieldofSearch 94/l.5, 15, 4; 52/309, 391, 587, 378, 334, 659, 733

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 647,904 4/1900 Ransome 52/378 1,568,265 1/1926 Carrillon 52/378 1,610,996 12/1926 Bruckshaw 52/659 1,674,714 6/1928 Bruckshaw 52/659 Primary Examiner-Jacob L. Nackenoff Attorneys- Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato ABSTRACT: A construction element configuration for use in making construction elements for roads or panels for structures and the like and a new joint or anchor therefor. The element comprises a slab or sheet of material, which generally is resilient, having a helical wound lattice partially embedded therein for anchoring the slab or sheet to another material. The anchor means comprises a plurality of metallic wire or rod elements each having a springlike configuration consisting of helically wound turns or coils. The helical convolutions of each element are coaxial about a respective longitudinal axis and the axes of the elements are generally parallel and corresponding coils of next adjacent anchor elements are interlaced so that the elements jointly define a lattice arrangement that can be embedded in another material to anchor the slab or element thereto. The anchoring lattice strengthens the slab and provides excellent distribution of stresses to which the arrangement may be subjected when anchored.

PATENTED JAN 5 l97l SHEET 1 OF 2' PATENTEDJAN 51971 3552277 SHEET 2 [IF 2 CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT WITH HELICALLY WOUND ANCHOR LATTICE This is a continuation-in-part application of my application Ser. No. 497,933 filed Oct. 19, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to construction elements with a base or slab of resilient material and more particularly to construction elements and anchor means for anchoring the element to another material.

The bonding of a sheet or slab of resilient material to a surface of another material has always been a particular problem. The bonding or anchoring of one material upon another is generally achieved by means of use of a bonding agent, for example, a suitable adhesive, or by partial fusion, for example a molecular bond, of the adjacent materials. A typical example of the problem is in the bonding or adhering of bands of colored sheet material applied to roadways or highway surfaces. These colored materials are generally fastened in different ways. However, the method of fastening the slab or sheet materials to the highway is generally not satisfactory and the element, which may be part of a signal system, is rapidly torn away from its bonded surface and there is resultant problem of having vehicles having to be braked or slowed down as they pass over the ruptured material.

Attempts have been made to improve the fastening of sheet or slab materials on roadways as facings or in other structures such as construction panels. Generally the attemptsproceed by increasing the thickness of the slab or plate, which may be made of synthetic resin or rubber, and by embedding therein pieces of a metallic binder making them project from the sheet or slab. The metallic binder or anchor is generally embedded in the plastic material while it is still in a plastic state in which it will accept the anchor material. These anchoring concepts have taken different shapes and preferably form a loop'on the outside of the slab of material to be anchored. Generally the slab or sheet is of a resilient material. Examples of the'various anchor means and bonding of these elements are found in the U.S. 5. Pat. Nos.: 1,727,258; 2,578,600; 705,156; 2,175,070. However, these anchor devices do not have a sufficient efficiency in view of the fact that they are generally not sufficiently strong enough to carry out their function and ithas been discovered that they easily tear away from the base material, for example resilient material.

Moreover, construction elements comprising slabs or plates made out of resilient material have been made comprising a backing having a greater surface than the slab of material and projecting beyond the periphery of the slab in order to be able to constitute anchoring means. Such structures are illustrated in the French Pat. No. 795,956 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,867. These devices are limited in that they are able to anchor the structural slab, which may be made of resilient material,,solely about the periphery and not throughout its central area or portions thereof. Consequently this kind of anchoring meansis not generally applied to structure elements having a large area or surface.

The fastening of structural or construction elements have been improved by the use of anchoring devices constituting metallic rods or wires wound in a helical configuration. These anchor means have the advantage of achieving an elastic bond which permits the deformation of the slab itself. Typical of such devices are the anchor means illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 647,904; and 2,126,965. In these devices, for example the patented device in U.S. Pat. No. 647,904, the axis of the helix formed by the helically wound rod is generally parallel to the plane of the slab and the turns thereof are partially embedded in the slab and are anchored to the material on which the slab must be fastened. Some of these helical wound elements are placed perpendicular to the plane of the slab to be fastened and are anchored partially in the slab and the material to which anchoring takes place. Typical of this kind of construction is the anchor means disclosed in the U. S. Pat.No.

In these helical wound wire type of anchor constructions the different coils or turns are completely independent of each other as to stres'ses applied theretoand if a shear stress is exerted on a precise localized area of the slab only the springlike element or even only the single coil involved located in the area of the stress is subjected into the'v entire stress. Consequently construction and their anchorelements constructed in this manner have not prove-'n' completely satisfactory.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction'element of a material having anchored therein a helicalfwoi'rfld anchor lattice capable of overcoming the disadvantages o'f-heretofore known construction elements and their anchor devices.

The constructioh'element according to'the invention comprises a slab or sheet, which may be made of a resilient material such as a plastic. Anchoring means 'are'provided in the'slab. The anchor means consists of a lattice-of spring-shaped elements having helical turns generally coaxial and of equal diameter. Each of the spring-shaped elements is disposed substantially parallel to an adjacent spring-shaped element and the corresponding next-adjacent turns or coils of the elements are interlaced to form the lattice. The coils of the various anchor elements are embedded partially into the slab of materiaLThe slab or sheet materialitself is of a thickness less than the diameter of the coilsso that the major portion of each of the coils extends outwardly from a major surface of the slab to-be anchored. The coils are so'a'rranged so that. substantially the entire area-of, the slab to beanchored has coils'arran'ged "insulation panels and the like.

' Other constructions may have the sheet or slab or material having the embedded coils or turns having an exposed surface substantially flush with a major surface thereof opposite to'the major surface from which the majonarcuate part of the coils extend. The exposed flush surface is used to weld or bond thereto a plate or sheet of another or a similar material overlying the construction element slab or sheet.

Other features and advantages of the construction element in accordance with the present invention will be better understood'as described in the following specification and appended claims, in conjunction with ,the following drawings in which; I

FIG. 1, is a fragmentary perspective view of a construction element accordingto the invention, illustrating a cutaway of the slab in order to illustrate anchor, means for the construction element;

FIG. 2, is a cross-sectional view of the construction element illustrated in FIG. 1;,

FIG. 3, is an elevation cross-sectional view of a construction element in accordance with the invention applied to a highway and arranged over a light;source as part of ahighway signal system;

FIG. 4, is an elevation cross-sectionalview of a construction element in accordance with the invention of the type in which two slabs of material are joined together;

FIG. 5, is a fragmentary elevation cross-sectional view of an insulated construction element made according to the invention; and l I FIG. 6, is a cross-sectional view of a construction element generally of the type shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a protective or decorative plate arranged over the slab thereof.

While the construction element in accordance with the invention will be described generally with respect to construction elements usable for constructing structures, insulation panels, signal systems on highways and the like it will be understood that the principles of the invention as to effecting a joint between two slabs or sheets of material are generally applicable to other construction elements usable in other environments. Moreover, while the invention is particularly applicable to anchoring of a slab or sheet of resilient material it is equally applicable to the anchoring of cementitious and plastic materials to similar materials or different materials.

Moreover, the term slab is used herein to refer to different sheets or plates of different thicknesses. The term spring a shaped as used herein is used to refer generally to the configuration of the anchoring elements and does not necessarily require that the rods or wires wound into such anchor element be made of a spring steel orsimilar material. However, the anchor means may be made of a spring steel or similar material that is able to best transmit stresses for example shear stresses, throughout the anchor means or joint between the construction element and the material to which it is anchored or secured.

In the drawings and more particularly in FIG. 1, a construction element according to the invention is illustrated as comprising a slab or sheet 1 made of a selected material, for example a resilient or plastic material, to which is secured an anchor element or lattice 2 by being partially embedded therein as later herein described. The anchor means 2 comprises a plurality of spring-shaped elements each made of rod or wire material having turns or coils helically wound as illustrated. The spring-shaped elements each have a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the plane of the sheet material 1 and their axes generally parallel to one another with corresponding, next-adjacent turns or coils interlaced and crossing at an angle relative to each other as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The

coils of the lattice have a major arcuate portion 3 exposed and extending away from a major surface of the sheet or slab 1.

The construction elements in accordance with the invention may be made with the slab 1 made of a decorative material.

-When the material hardens the metallic wire wound lattice is held or fixed in the plastic material.

The construction elements can also be machine made. Such construction elements are made from an endless band of material such as stainless steel or a siliconed fabric or cloth which is travelling and over which is applied a layer or coating of polyvinyl chloride which immediately begins to set. A continuous arrangement of metallic wires wound in the configuration heretofore described are partially embedded into the plastic coating under control or adjustment of a pressure roller, not shown, embedding the anchor means. The plastic coating is then set by heating to about 200 C.

The construction element heretofore described has several advantages, firstly it is relatively simple to manufacture. Secondly, the spring-shaped elements can be embedded so that arcuate projecting surfaces 3 of the coils of the lattice can be allowed to project substantially flush with a major surface of the slab to which other protective plates can be anchored as hereinafter described; and thirdly the lattice arrangement has the various turns or coils interlaced so that any stresses exerted on one of them transmits the stress to the adjacent coils and therefore the stress is distributed over a large area of the anchor means and the resilient material 1 so that there is less apt to be any rupture of the anchor or the resilient slab 1. The use of this type of construction moreover permits the resilient and flexible material 1 to flex under optimum conditions and to maintain its optimum resiliency and flexibilil in this construction element 5 is made of of a translucent or light pervious material such as a resin, for example polymethylmetracrylate or epoxy resin. The slab 1 has anchored thereto a lattice 2 made as heretofore described which is embedded into concrete blocks 6 defining a space 7 be made of a particular color or have legend on the exposed upper surface thereof.

In the embodiment in FIG. 3 the coils of the anchor means 2 are embedded in the concrete blocks 6 while still in a soft state. In this embodiment the slab has the arcuate coil surfaces 3' projecting substantially flush with the upper major surface of the unit 5. The slab is thicker in this instance than the embodiment heretofore disclosed. Thus the coils are embedded into the slab about half of their diameter and the exposed portion 3 are embedded only at the support concrete blocks 6.

A third embodiment of a construction element in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 in which two parallel slabs 1a, lb of a suitable material, for example a plastic material, are joined to each other by a lattice 2a made in the manner heretofore described. In this construction the turns or convolutions of the anchor means or lattice 2a is greater than the total sum of the thicknesses of the plates or slabs 1a, lb so that a space 9 is formed between the two parallel slabs which can serve as an insulating space filled with insulation. This kind of construction can be used for making insulated construction or structural panels for prefabricated houses or other structures and the like.

Insulated construction or structural panels can be made of two single construction elements joined together as shown in FIG. 5. Thus two slabs of material provided with metallic anchor means 2b, 2c as heretofore described are disposed in parallel relationship defining a space 911 therebetween and are joined together by metallic crossbars 10 connecting the two lattices or anchor means in fixed relationship, for example by welding the crossbars onto the lattices. The space 9a formed between the plates is filled with insulation material.

The construction elements illustrated in FIG. 4 are made by first fabricating a construction element somewhat similar to the construction illustrated in FIG. 1, however, the surfaces 3' may be made to project from the surface or otherwise as desired. The construction element thus made is then embedded in another slab 1b while the material is still soft as heretofore described. The construction in FIG. 5 is readily made by making two separate construction elements in the manner heretofore described with respect to the embodiment in FIG. 1 and these are then joined by connecting them with the crossbars 10 at any desired spacing or interval to form the space therebetween.

A fifth embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 6. In this construction is illustrated a slab 1c having anchored therein anchor means 2d constructed as heretofore described with respect to the embodiment in FIG. 1. In this construction the coil surfaces 3' are used to bond thereto a sheet or plate 1 1 which may be made for example of metal and is welded, for example electrically to the metallic surfaces 3'. If desired the plate 11 may be a protective plate or a decorative plate of any other suitable material which is bonded, for example by a suitable adhesive, applied over the entire major bonding surface of the plastic material 10 A construction element of this type can be used, as can the construction elements in FIGS. 4 and 5, in any type of desired construction or structure to which such a construction element configuration is applicable.

While preferred embodiments of construction elements in accordance with the invention have been described and illustrated it will be understood that many modifications and changes can be made within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. In combination, a concrete element, a resilient plastic slab on said concrete element, anchor means anchoring said plastic slab to said concrete element comprising a plurality of helically wound spring-shaped wire elements having a plurality of coaxial helical coils extending longitudinally and embedded in both the concrete element and said plastic slab in contiguous surfaces thereof for uniform distribution of stresses, the spring-shaped elements having the longitudinal axes thereof extending generally parallel to each other and generally parallel to a major surface of said plastic slab, the

2. The combination according to claim 1, in which the supporting concrete element is in registry with at least marginal portions of said slab over a substantial area thereof. 

1. In combination, a concrete element, a resilient plastic slab on said concrete element, anchor means anchoring said plastic slab to said concrete element comprising a plurality of helically wound spring-shaped wire elements having a plurality of coaxial helical coils extending longitudinally and embedded in both the concrete element and said plastic slab in contiguous surfaces thereof for uniform distribution of stresses, the spring-shaped elements having the longitudinal axes thereof extending generally parallel to each other and generally parallel to a major surface of said plastic slab, the spring-shaped elements having the coils thereof interlaced and in contact with corresponding nextadjacent coils of next-adjacent wire-shaped elements to distribute stresses to the next-adjacent coils, each of said wire-shaped elements having coils having an arcuate segment embedded in said plastic slab at separated points distributed over the entire surface area of said plastic slab thereby to transmit stresseS uniformly throughout the plastic slab.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, in which the supporting concrete element is in registry with at least marginal portions of said slab over a substantial area thereof. 